understanding prefixes

MEDICAL TERMINOLOGYMEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

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CHAPTER

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Understanding Prefixes

3

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Learning Objectives

• Define and spell the prefixes commonly used in medical terminology.

• Identify prefixes in medical terms.

• Use prefixes to build medical terms.

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Common Prefixes

• a- • ab- • bi- • endo- • hyper-• hypo-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Common Prefixes (cont.)

• intra- • post- • pre- • sub-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Common Prefixes (cont.)

• anti- • con- • contra-• meta-

anti-

-ic

= against

= pertaining to

bi/o= life

antibiotic

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate Number or Quantity

• ambi- • bi-• di-, dipl- • hemi- • mono-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Diplopia (double vision)Source: Alex Melnick / Shutterstock.com

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate Number or Quantity (cont.)

• multi- • nulli- • pan- • poly-

poly-

-itis

= many

= inflammation

arter/o= artery

polyarteritis

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate Number or Quantity (cont.)

• primi- • quadri- • semi- • tetra- • tri- • uni-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate Location or Timing

• ab- • ad- • ana-• ante-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate Location or Timing (cont.)

• dia- • dis- • ec-, ecto- • endo-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Figure 3.1 Endogastric procedure using an endoscope to observe the internal stomach

lining.

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate Location or Timing (cont.)

• ep-, epi- • eso- • ex-, exo- • extra-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate Location or Timing (cont.)

• hypo-• infer- • inter- • intra- • para-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate Location or Timing (cont.)

• peri- • post-• pre-• sub- • super-, supra- • sym-, syn-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Figure 3.2 Skin Layers

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate a Specific Quality about a Term

• a-, an-• brady- • circum- • dys- • eu- • heter-, hetero-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate a Specific Quality about a Term

(cont.)• hyper- • hypo- • macro- • mal- • mega-, megalo-

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefixes That Indicate a Specific Quality about a Term

(cont.) • micro- • neo- • pseudo- • tachy- • trans- • ultra-

tachy-

-ia

= rapid

= condition of

cardi/o= heart

tachycardia

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Figure 3.3 Ultrasound imaging. Source: Photodisc/Thinkstock

Medical Terminology: Complete!, Second EditionBruce Wingerd

Prefix Quiz

1.peri- a. through2.ante- b. around3.dis- c. apart4.dia- d. alongside5.para- e. before